Spiritual Vision Statement

I believe that loving God and loving people are two sides of one coin. Inspiring and invitingly presented worship music sets that coin spinning with life, blending the two sides into one. This passion for changing lives through prayer and music has driven each service, concert or program that I create in partnership with the talented and dynamic Temple Israel team for the past twenty-one years. 

After seeing heart after heart open in prayer, I am convinced that prayer is a human need, and an intrinsic human ability. A newborn baby has nothing but instincts. Just as that newborn instinctively seeks connection, our souls know they long for the Divine. The “vanities of the world”, as Rambam describes, however, can mute or cover up those soul instincts. The best remedy I know is the beauty of our traditional texts, along with new personal creative prayers, paired with music crafted to appeal to that particular community and demographic. Together, prayer and music let us encounter our souls’ source and reach ever higher. If a worship team can meet that goal with joy and excellence, then all the other details and considerations are secondary, and a magic synergy takes hold.

People also sense authenticity. They know in their “kishkes” whether leaders on the bimah are genuinely praying to God - however they understand that endlessly faceted concept. This knowledge stokes the fire under my own personal mission to understand God through our texts, meditative practices, kabbalistic tradition, and most importantly, daily behaviour. I have been blessed to be the shaliach tzibur, or spiritual emissary, for a community that lives its values with a full and open heart, and I work every day to more forthrightly live up to the challenge and honor of that role. When clergy are vulnerably and passionately working to get closer to God, walls tumble down and we scale new and beautiful heights together.

My frame of reference for every circle of community, from family to the congregation, is one of Hashgacha Pratit, or Divine Providence. I follow the teaching of the Arizal. This great kabbalist revealed that God’s providence extends to the tiniest details of life as well as to the greatest phenomena. Believing each person has something to teach me gets me into what I call the “Bashert Zone”. In this zone, every connection is meant to be, and even mundane communication is rich with meaning and life. When we believe every encounter is planned and purposeful, we show up with more kindness, patience, mindfulness and generosity. 

Joy is an essential ingredient - the foundation of worship. Joy breaks down all barriers. The trickiest resistance or concerns melt away when the community feels an infectious wave of palpable joy filling the room. This past Shabbat Shira, as we sang Psalm 150, the rabbis walked out in front singing and clapping, and the whole music team felt the beat and energy of the song lock in. That joyful lift took hold of the room, and we danced and sang - congregants arm in arm. As the simcha of praying to our Source filled the room, an effortless presence of something beyond was felt by the community. Of course, there is always room for gentle introspective sections in a service. But I am at my best, and the most transformative moments happen, when there is a peak of joy that takes hold of the room and sweeps the community up into something greater than our individual parts - into the holiness of Oneness, and the inner sense of the presence of our Maker.

I’ve learned something surprising over the years: the holiest moments often depend on the least spiritual things—like whether the mic is working and the slides come up at the right time. It’s not glamorous, but if the tech fails, it pulls people out of prayer in a heartbeat. That’s why I’ve made it part of my job to understand the whole picture: audio, lighting, cameras, screens, livestream, the works. At Temple Israel, I’ve spent years coordinating with rabbis, musicians, AV staff, and maintenance so that the technical side disappears and what shines through is the prayer. When the sound is balanced, the visuals flow, and the transitions feel effortless, people stop noticing the production and start feeling the Presence. That’s the goal every single time.

One of my greatest joys is seeing the next generation lead. Each time I see a young person from our community step into a leadership role I am filled with hope and pride. Our own Jenna Pearsall, now serving as a Cantor at Central Synagogue, NYC, sang in our Teen T’fillah Team and T’fillah Team, and led services as a young adult. Aaron Markovitz, our last Zipser Artist in Residence, was called to the bimah of a major local synagogue, Shir Shalom, right after completing his three-year tenure with us. So many more examples come to mind, including my own daughter Ayla Smolash, who is now serving as a brilliant songleader for Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto, where my Cantorial journey began. Seeing them carry our spiritual and musical vision forward makes this sacred work deeply worthwhile.